I would like to
join previous speakers in congratulating His
Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki of Libya on his
election to the post of President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. I wish him every
success. I should also like to thank his predecessor,
Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, for his work. I would
like to express my profound respect and appreciation to
the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, for his leadership in mobilizing the
international community to make our world a better
place to live.
We all recognize that the security of every State
of the world can be better promoted and ensured with a
multilateral security system. That paradigm was a
principal reason behind the creation of the collective
security system that has the United Nations at its core.
Yet, after more than 60 years since the founding of the
United Nations, the question remains of whether the
contemporary international security architecture is
addressing effectively and in a timely manner the
multifaceted and interconnected challenges and threats
confronting our world today.
The global character of today’s challenges and
threats makes geographic distance irrelevant when it
comes to the formulation of security policy, as threats
as we know them today transcend national borders and
entire continents. The indirect repercussions of these
threats may be as devastating and as costly as their
direct impact. The interconnected and intertwined
nature of current threats requires that we reconsider the
very concept of security in broader terms that are not
confined to the traditional military aspect of security,
but also include its political, economic, energy,
cultural, information and other dimensions.
The security of each State and, more broadly,
international peace and security will depend upon
whether States follow the norms and principles of
international law and use them as a guiding tool for
shaping their foreign and security policies. Following a
common set of norms and rules on the international
arena contributes to the transparency and predictability
of State behaviour and hence consolidates international
peace and security.
Unfortunately, the unlawful use of force has still
not been eliminated from international relations.
Civilian populations are still suffering today in many
places around the world due to the manifest failure of
individual States to fulfil their most basic and
compelling responsibilities. Armed conflict, military
aggression and foreign occupation involving the most
serious international crimes are but a few vivid
examples from our recent history of the bitter
consequences of non-compliance by individual States
with the norms and principles of international law.
Governments that fail to obey the rules of international
conduct will inevitably infringe upon individual
liberties and freedoms at home, thus undermining
democratic development.
The most vivid example of misconduct when it
comes to the norms and principles of international law
is the almost two-decades-long, and still unresolved,
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorny-Karabakh conflict,
which also stands out as a major threat to international
and regional peace and security. As a result of the
aggression carried out by Armenia, almost one-fifth of
the territory of Azerbaijan has been occupied,
approximately 1 million ethnically cleansed
Azerbaijanis have become internally displaced persons
or refugees and thousands of Azerbaijan’s historical
and cultural heritage artifacts have been destroyed or
looted.
In its four resolutions on the conflict, the Security
Council has reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan and the inadmissibility of the
use of force to acquire the territory of the other States.
It has also recognized Nagorny-Karabakh as a part of
Azerbaijan and called for an immediate, complete and
unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from
all occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The General
Assembly — in resolution 62/243, which was adopted
61 09-52470
on 14 March 2008 and which is entitled “The situation
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” — expressed
respect and support for the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally
recognized borders.
As reflected in those resolutions, the approach of
the General Assembly and the Security Council is fully
consistent with the position of Azerbaijan, which from
the beginning advocated a step-by-step approach to
settling the conflict as the only viable option. A number
of important steps have to be taken, starting with the
withdrawal of Armenian forces from all the occupied
territories, the rehabilitation of those territories, the
return of internally displaced persons to their homes in
and around the Nagorny-Karabakh region and the
opening of all communications channels for mutual
use. That will make it possible to eliminate the
consequences of the conflict, and will pave the way for
the establishment of a durable peace and stability in the
region that is conducive to the establishment of the
legal status of the Nagorny-Karabakh region within
Azerbaijan, with due account taken of, and an equal
hearing for, the voices of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
communities of the region.
The current settlement process offers some hope
of breaking the stalemate in the process of resolution
of the conflict. The acceptance by Armenia of the step-
by-step approach to a settlement to the conflict on the
basis of the principles and norms of international law
and the decisions and documents adopted in that
framework, as reflected in the joint declaration signed
in Moscow in November 2008 by the Presidents of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation, is a
positive sign. Azerbaijan is ready to continue talks with
Armenia’s leadership for a secure and stable South
Caucasus region and beyond, which will make it
possible to take advantage of the existing ample
regional opportunities for the benefit of all.
Against the background of the negative
developments in the region to which I have referred, let
me briefly share some information about the positive
economic performance of my country.
Azerbaijan has minimized the impact of the
global economic downturn on its economy and
managed to sustain growth. Having maintained its
dynamism in 2009, as of today our gross domestic
product (GDP) growth stands at almost 4 per cent. We
have recorded a drop in the poverty rate since 2003,
from 44 per cent to 13 per cent. The Government of
Azerbaijan has substantially improved trade and
investment conditions in an effort to strengthen
national competitiveness and spur private-sector
development, especially in the non-oil sector. Non-oil
GDP growth is at almost 16 per cent, the highest rate in
5 years. In recognition of its results-oriented reforms
and thought-out economic policy, Azerbaijan was
qualified by the World Bank as one of the world’s top
reformers.
Azerbaijan — a strategically located country with
a young and skilled population, great resources and a
dynamic economy — is inevitably taking a leading role
in the region and increasingly becoming a pivotal
player and credible actor beyond the region. The
successful implementation of such infrastructure
projects as the Baku-Supsa and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil-exporting pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
gas pipeline have not only boosted our economy, they
have also contributed to the development of
neighbouring States. A modern energy infrastructure
coupled with vast energy resources have transformed
Azerbaijan into an energy hub of international
importance. Azerbaijan has proven itself a reliable
partner and an indispensable and secure energy source
for Europe and beyond.
Azerbaijan’s location at the crossroads of major
East-West and North-South transport corridors and its
rapidly developing national transportation
infrastructure, which is connected to regional highway
and railroad networks, highlights the strategic
importance of my country. The completion of the
construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad and the
commissioning of the brand new seaport at Alat, on
Azerbaijan’s coast on the Caspian Sea, will increase
the role of Azerbaijan as a communications hub linking
Europe with Asia.
Azerbaijan has also put forward an initiative to
establish a Trans-Eurasian information superhighway,
which is expected to serve as a major element of the
East-West transport corridor and facilitate the
provision of Internet service, telecommunications
systems, e-information resources and e-economies to
20 countries of the region.
Today we are living at a time of heightened
religious and ethnic awareness, which in certain
instances has taken exaggerated forms and is
sometimes maliciously exploited to fuel conflicts on
09-52470 62
ethnic, religious or cultural grounds. The broad
recognition by the Member States of the United
Nations of the role of the dialogue among civilizations,
and specifically of inter-cultural and inter-religious
harmony in maintaining international peace and
security, can only be praised.
We fully support the recommendations of the
Secretary-General on the importance of increasing
educational efforts to eliminate hate messages,
distortion, prejudice and negative bias from textbooks
and other educational media and to ensure a basic
knowledge and understanding of the world’s main
cultures, civilizations and religions.
As a country where long-standing traditions of
tolerance and peaceful coexistence of different
religions and ethnic groups over centuries have become
an inseparable part of the culture, Azerbaijan has
repeatedly demonstrated its determination to act as a
natural bridge bringing together different continents,
cultures and civilizations through the promotion of
inter-religious and intercultural dialogue based on
mutual respect and understanding among peoples of
different cultures and religions.
Azerbaijan was among the first countries to join
the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative by Turkey
and Spain. Azerbaijan has hosted a number of
important events in recent years, with a view to
translating into concrete actions the recommendations
contained in the Alliance of Civilizations report of the
High-level Group appointed by the Secretary-General.
Most recently, we held the Baku International Forum
on Expanding the Role of Women in Cross-cultural
Dialogue, which we believe will raise awareness about
the role of women in that regard. In December 2008,
we hosted a conference of culture ministers from
Council of Europe member States. For the first time in
the history of the Council of Europe, ministers from
member States of the Islamic Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization and the Arab League
Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
joined the event. The Baku declaration adopted at the
conference envisages, inter alia, an intercultural
dialogue between European and neighbouring States.
At the fifth Islamic Conference of Culture
Ministers, Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku was declared
the Islamic culture capital for 2009. This autumn we
will be hosting the sixth Conference of Ministers of
Culture of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,
where we will continue discussions of our future
actions in fostering dialogue among civilizations.
The multilateral system, with the United Nations
at its heart, is undergoing serious changes that will test
its strength, viability and credibility. This requires
more dedicated efforts aimed at strengthening the
United Nations and promoting the effectiveness of the
Organization through the implementation of its
decisions and resolutions. Azerbaijan believes that, as
the only truly global organization, the United Nations
has to be stronger and capable of engaging on a range
of pressing global issues in every part of the world, as
well as addressing the aspirations and concerns of each
Member State. We continue to support reform of the
Organization so that it may be renewed and revitalized
and made more responsive.